Miniature rose plant &#39;PACeighteen&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new miniature rose plant which has abundant, red to red-purple colored flowers and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for year round production in commercial glass houses as a flowering pot plant. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Rosa hybrida.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PACeighteen’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety ofminiature rose plant, which was developed by artificially pollinating anunnamed seedling (not patented) with an unnamed seedling (not patented).The two parents were crossed in the summer of 2004 and the resultingseed was sown in December 2004, in a controlled glasshouse environment.Out of these seedlings one seedling was selected, as the new variety andnamed ‘PACeighteen’. The new rose may be distinguished from its seedparent, an unnamed seedling, by the following combination ofcharacteristics:

-   -   1. ‘PACeighteen’ has medium double flowers, while the unnamed        seedling has medium single flowers.    -   2. ‘PACeighteen’ has red to red-purple colored petals, while the        unnamed seedling has red petals.

The new variety may distinguished from its pollen parent, an unnamedseedling created by the same inventor, by the following combination ofcharacteristics:

-   -   1. ‘PACeighteen’ , has medium double flowers, while the unnamed        seedling has medium single flowers.    -   2. ‘PACeighteen’ has red to red-purple colored petals, while the        unnamed seedling has light red petals.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Initial asexual reproduction of ‘PACeighteen’ by cuttings was first donein Santa Barbara, Calif., USA. This initial and other subsequentpropagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated thatthe characteristics of ‘PACeighteen’ are true to type and aretransmitted one generation to the next. ‘PACeighteen’ is a low andcompact miniature rose with good vigor.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety for commercialgreenhouse culture was to create a new and distinct variety with:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant flowers with good keepability;    -   2. Attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth;    -   3. Year round flowering under glasshouse conditions;    -   4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots;    -   5. Durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable        for distribution in the floral industry.

This combination of qualities was not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventor, anddistinguish ‘PACeighteen’ from all other varieties of which I am aware.

The seeds from hybridization were planted in a controlled environmentand evaluations were conducted on the resulting plants. ‘PACeighteen’was selected by, Daniel Jauchen, in his development program in SantaBarbara, Calif., USA.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably toobtain in color photographs of this type, the typical characteristics ofthe buds, flowers, leaves, stems of ‘PACeighteen’. Specificallyillustrated in the drawings:

1: Young shoot.

2: Bud before opening the sepals.

3: Bud at the stage of opening the sepals.

4: Bud at the stage of opening the petals.

5: Flower during course of opening.

6: Open flower—plan view—obverse.

7: Open flower—plan view—reverse.

8: Fully open flower—plan view—obverse.

9: Fully open flower—plan view—reverse.

10: Receptacle showing stamens and pistils.

11: Receptacle showing pistils (stamens and sepals removed).

12: Flower petals, detached—inner surface.

13: Flower petals, detached—outer surface.

14: Bare stem exhibiting thorns and flower attachment.

15: Three leaflets upper side.

16: Three leaflets reverse side.

17: Five leaflets upper side.

18: Five leaflets reverse side.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of the Miniature Rose: Rosahybrida ‘PACeighteen’.

The following observations, measurements, values and comparisonsdescribe plants grown in glass houses in Santa Barbara, Calif., USA.

The age of the observed plants were 3 months after propagation bycuttings, and produced as flowering pot plants in container of 10centimeter in diameter. Environmental conditions in the cultivation areafor the observed plants, has been temperatures from 64 to 78 degreeFarenheit, and 10 to 20 hours day length with assimilation light. Lightlevels from 600 foot candle to 6000 foot candle. The relative humidityhas been ranging from 50 to 85%.

Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London,England) Colour Chart, 1995, except where common terms of color areused. For a comparison, the nearest existing rose variety is ‘KORbltyp’,a rose variety described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. PP14,902.

Chart 1 details several physical characteristics of ‘PACeighteen’ and‘KORbltyp’. CHART 1 ‘PACeighteen’ ‘KORbltyp’ Petal color, Upper RedGroup 51A to Red-Purple Group 66C surface Red-Purple Group 62A Petalcolor, Reverse Red-Purple Group 62A Red-Purple Group 66D surface Petalcount 60-65 40-45

-   Parents: Unnamed seedling times unnamed seedling-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Rosa hybrida.        -   Commercial.—Miniature.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous. Grows compact upright to            bushy. When grown as 10 cm pot plant, the average height of            the plant itself is 18 cm to 20 cm, and average width is            20 cm. When grown as a 15 cm pot plant, the average height            of the plant itself is 22 cm to 27 cm, and average width is            30 cm.-   Stem:    -   -   Color.—Young wood: Green Group between 143A and 143B. Older            wood: Green Group 138A.        -   Thorns.—Incidence: None.        -   Surface.—Young wood: Smooth. Olderwood: Smooth.        -   Stem diameter.—2 mm to 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—20 mm to 30 mm.        -   Numbers of internodes.—5 to 6.-   Plant foliage: Leaves arranged alternately, compound with 3 to 5    leaflets per leaf, generally symmetrical, abundant, and flat in    aspect. Stipules at petiole base.    -   -   Quantity of leaves.—5 to 6 per lateral branch.        -   Leaf size.—Length 60 mm to 80 mm, width 50 mm to 55 mm.        -   Petioles.—Color: Green Group between 138A and 138B, with            intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183D. Margins: Entire.            Length: 6 mm to 12 mm Diameter: about 0.5 mm to 1 mm.        -   Stipules.—Size: Length 6 mm to 10 mm, width 1 mm to 2 mm.            Surface: Smooth. Color for upper surface: Green Group            between 137A and 138A, Color for lower surface: Green Group            between 137B and 138B Margins: Entire.        -   Rachis.—Color: Green Group 138A to 138B, with intonations of            Greyed-Purple Group 183D Margins: Entire. Length: 15 mm to            35 mm. Diameter: 0.5 mm to 1 mm.        -   Leaflets.—Edge: Serrated. Serration: Single. Shape: Ovate            with acute apex and obtuse base. Texture: Smooth.            Appearance: Dull. Size: length: 25 mm to 35 mm, width: 10 mm            to 25 mm. Color: Young foliage: Upper surface: Green Group            137A. Lower surface: Green Group 137C, Color: Mature            foliage: Upper surface: Green Group 137A Lower surface:            Green Group 138A Leaf vein color: Upper surface: Green Group            137C Reverse surface: Green Group 138A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent.        -   Number of flowers.—Generally one to three buds per flowering            stem.        -   Peduncle.—Color: Green Group between 138A and 138C. Texture:            Smooth. Length: 15 mm to 25 mm Diameter: 1 mm to 2 mm.            Strength: Upright.        -   Receptacle.—Surface: Smooth, glabrous. Shape: Funnel-shaped.            Size: height 4 mm to 5 mm, width 6 mm to 8 mm. Color: Green            Group 138B.        -   Sepals.—Quantity: Five. Shape: Narrowly ovate with acute            tip. Texture: Leathery. Margin: Foliaceous appendages on two            of the five sepals. Appearance: Dull. Color: Upper surface:            Green Group 137A Reverse surface: Greyed-Green Group between            189A and 191A Size: Length 20 mm to 35 mm, width 5 mm to 8            mm.        -   Buds.—Size: Height 15 mm to 20 mm, diameter 10 mm to 20 mm,            Upon opening. Shape: Cupped to ovoid. Color: at ¼ opening,            Red Group 46B.        -   Flower.—Duration: As a pot plant, flowers last from 12 to 15            days. Fragrance: None. Size: 30 mm to 40 mm in diameter.            Depth: 16 mm to 20 mm. Form: Shape of flower when viewed            from the side: Upon opening: Cupped to ovoid. Open flower:            Flat. Color: Petals, upon opening: Upper surface: Red Group            between 51A and Red-Purple Group 62A base in White Group            155C. Reverse surface: Red-Purple Group 62A, base in White            Group 155C. Petals after opening: Upper surface: Red-Purple            Group 62A Base in White Group 155C Reverse surface:            Red-Purple Group 62A Base in White Group 155C General            tonality: On open flower: Third day: Red-Purple Group            between 57A and 62A Afterwards: Red-Purple Group 62A.-   Petals:    -   -   Petal reflex.—Outermost petals reflex backwards at opening.            Fully open all petals reflex backwards.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Petal edge.—Entire.        -   Petal count.—60 to 65 on the average per flower.        -   Petal size.—Length 12 mm to 25 mm, width 15 mm to 28 mm.        -   Shape.—Outer petals: Round — ovate Inner petals: Ovate Apex:            Cuspidate, Base: Obtuse to rotundate.        -   Petaloids.—Count: 10 to 15. Shape: Oblong. Color: Red-Purple            Group 62A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen number.—Approximately 10 to 15 on average per flower.        -   Stamens length.—3 mm to 4 mm.        -   Pollen.—Color: Yellow-Orange Group 22A. Abundance: Little.        -   Anthers.—Size: 1 mm to 1.5 mm Color: Yellow-Orange Group            22A. Shape: Oblong.        -   Filaments.—Size: 2 mm to 3 mm. Color: Orange-White Group            159D.        -   Pistils number.—Approximately 20 to 25 on average per            flower.        -   Stigmas.—Location: Protrude more than the anthers. Color:            Green-White Group 157D.        -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 155B. Length: 5 mm to 6 mm.-   Development:    -   -   Vegetation.—Dense.        -   Blooming.—Abundant.        -   Aptitude to bear fruit.—Poor.        -   Resistance to diseases.—Above average resistance to mildew            and Botrytis under normal growing conditions in Santa            Barbara, Calif., USA. Hips/seeds has not been observed due            to that the plant has never been grown to the stage of seed            development, due to the fact, that the variety is developed            for use as a flowering pot plant only.        -   Winter hardiness & drought/heat tolerance.—Due to the fact,            that this variety is a potted flowering plant, developed            indoor use only, the plant is not tested for winter            hardiness or drought/heat tolerance.

1. A new and distinct variety of Rose plant of the miniature class,substantially as herein illustrated and described as a distinct andnovel rose variety due to its abundant red to red-purple flowers,attractive long lasting foliage, vigorous and compact growth, year roundflowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production fromsoftwood cuttings in pots, and durable flowers and foliage which makethe variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry.